Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times are for the treatment of alcohol-dependent patients in each local authority area.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested is not held centrally at present. However, the team at the national alcohol information resource at ISD Scotland are currently discussing information needs with local alcohol action teams and will be considering how proposed developments in the collection of waiting times data for drug services can be applied to services for people with alcohol problems.

Asylum Seekers

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the Home Office over the recommendations made in the inspection reports on the Dungavel House immigration removal centre.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Home Office is responsible for the operation and management of Dungavel, including the consideration of the recommendations following from the inspection of the centre. The Home Office has had discussions with South Lanarkshire Council, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education and the Executive on this issue.

Drug Misuse

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals under 18 were admitted to hospital as a result of illegal drug use in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area and expressed also as a percentage of all illegal drug use admissions.

Malcolm Chisholm: The latest complete count of the number of individuals aged under 18 admitted to hospitals in Scotland with a diagnosis of drug misuse is shown in the following table. It is not always possible to explicitly identify illegal drug use from centrally held data, as some drug classifications include the misuse of prescribed drugs.

  Patients Aged Under 18 Admitted to Hospitals in Scotland with Any Mention of a Diagnosis of Drug Misuse1,2,3 by NHS Board of Residence

  

 
 Y/E 
  March 1998
 Y/E 
  March 1999
 Y/E 
  March 2000
 Y/E 
  March 2001
 Y/E 
  March 2002P


 NHS Board of Residence
 Number 
  Aged Under 18
 % 
  of All Patients Admitted with Drug Misuse
 Number 
  Aged Under 18
 % 
  of All Patients Admitted with Drug Misuse
 Number 
  Aged Under 18
 % 
  of All Patients Admitted with Drug Misuse
 Number 
  Aged Under 18
 % 
  of All Patients Admitted with Drug Misuse
 Number 
  Aged Under 18
 % 
  of All Patients Admitted with Drug Misuse


 All Areas
 233
 6.7
 222
 5.5
 206
 4.8
 205
 4.6
 214
 4.6


 Ayrshire and Arran
 51
 16.3
 40
 10.3
 37
 9.1
 44
 10.0
 50
 8.6


 Borders
 5
 8.8
 6
 11.5
 8
 15.1
 1
 1.6
 9
 16.4


 Argyll and Clyde
 19
 6.9
 19
 5.2
 26
 6.5
 36
 9.4
 19
 4.4


 Fife
 15
 9.4
 25
 14.0
 13
 6.2
 13
 6.1
 10
 4.7


 Greater Glasgow
 37
 3.4
 33
 2.4
 34
 2.5
 29
 1.9
 40
 2.8


 Highland
 9
 14.1
 3
 4.5
 7
 7.4
 4
 5.8
 5
 6.0


 Lanarkshire
 10
 5.6
 15
 6.0
 11
 4.1
 17
 4.8
 11
 3.5


 Grampian
 27
 9.2
 21
 6.7
 24
 6.7
 16
 4.2
 18
 4.9


 Orkney
 -
 -
 -
 -
 1
 100.0
 -
 -
 -
 -


 Lothian
 30
 5.8
 31
 5.9
 22
 4.1
 20
 4.5
 29
 5.7


 Tayside
 14
 6.0
 10
 4.5
 9
 4.1
 7
 3.7
 9
 5.3


 Forth Valley
 5
 4.2
 7
 4.8
 2
 1.4
 4
 3.0
 5
 3.6


 Western Isles
 -
 -
 -
 -
 2
 16.7
 1
 14.3
 -
 -


 Dumfries and Galloway
 8
 8.9
 8
 8.9
 5
 6.0
 7
 7.4
 6
 4.3


 Shetland
 -
 -
 1
 16.7
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -


 Other4
 3
 3.5
 3
 2.8
 5
 3.1
 6
 3.8
 3
 2.1



  Source: ISD Scotland Linked Database, November 2003.

  PProvisional

  Notes:

  1. Includes in-patient and day case discharges from general acute and mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units.

  2. Up to six discharge diagnoses (one principal, five secondary) are recorded on the national returns. The following codes were used from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), tenth revision to identify drug misuse: F11 (Opioids), F12 (Cannabinoids), F13 (Sedatives/Hypnotics), F14 (Cocaine), F15 (Other Stimulants), F16 (Hallucinogens), F18 (Volative solvents), F19 (Multiple/other psychoactive substances).

  3. Caution is necessary when interpreting these figures. Where drug misuse is suspected but unconfirmed it may not be recorded by the hospital.

  4. Includes areas of residence outside Scotland, no fixed abode and unknown.

Economy

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian about the economic impact of the relocation of Executive department and agency jobs from Edinburgh.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive welcomes the strength of the Edinburgh economy and recognises that compared with Scotland as a whole it has a lower unemployment rate, a higher employment rate and average weekly wages some 7 per cent above the Scottish average.

  The Executive will continue to work with the City of Edinburgh to build a successful economy. We are committed to creating the conditions to maximise our sustainable economic growth for all of Scotland and our vision is that economic development should raise the quality of life of the Scottish people through increasing the economic opportunities for all. Analysis of the impact of relocation will inform our development of these policies.

  The Executive has met with representatives of the City of Edinburgh Council to discuss the decision to move Scottish Natural Heritage to Inverness.

Economy

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-2789 and S2W-2808 by Mr Jim Wallace on 27 October 2003, how the statements in chapter 4 of the Scottish Economic Report September 2003, that "the specific effects (of UK membership of EMU) might be different due to the structure of the Scottish economy" and "in general terms, the implications for Scotland of UK membership of the euro are similar to the UK as a whole" are consistent.

Mr Jim Wallace: All countries and regions of the UK have variations in their industrial structures. As such, the specific   effects of monetary union would be anticipated to differ across regions.

  Scotland is an integral part of the UK, sharing macro-economic and fiscal regimes. Similar economic transmission mechanisms would be anticipated to be at play in determining responses to EMU membership.

Fireworks

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions there were for the sale of fireworks to under age customers from 5 October to 5 November in each of the last three years.

Mrs Elish Angiolini: In the year 2002-03, prosecutions took place in relation to 11 charges involving the sale of fireworks to under age customers. Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service systems do not allow extraction of data for the period 5 October to 5 November in any year; nor is it possible to provide statistics about charges before 2002 when a major programme of change to reporting systems took place to allow full charge information to be received in electronic format from the police.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations in support of the ending of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Ross Finnie: No. We are committed to reforming and improving the Common Fisheries Policy.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £40 million made available for the decommissioning of fishing vessels is estimated to be allocated for this purpose following the closure of applications to the decommissioning scheme.

Ross Finnie: The deadline for the receipt of applications under the Fishing Vessels (Decommissioning) (Scotland) Scheme 2003 was 31 October 2003. Offers were made initially to the owners of 70 vessels covering the £40 million available under the scheme. Some vessel owners subsequently decided to withdraw their vessels from the scheme and were replaced by vessels from the reserve list. There are currently 69 live offers of grant involving aggregate expenditure of just under £32 million.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2633 by Ross Finnie on 29 September 2003, how much of the transitional aid scheme has now been, and is expected to be, paid out.

Ross Finnie: Transitional supports grants totalling over £4.8 million were paid to the owners of over 150 vessels in respect of the initial (March–August) aid period. We anticipate that the proposed extension of the scheme (subject to EC approval) to the end of the year will account for the remainder of the £10 million budget available for the scheme.

General Practitioners

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met officials of the other three UK health departments to discuss the new GP contract and which sections of the contract apply to the UK as a whole.

Malcolm Chisholm: As part of the implementation process for the new GMS contract, meetings between the NHS Confederation, UK General Practitioners Committee and officials from the four UK Health Departments are held on a regular basis. The meeting took place on 17 and 18 November.

  The new GMS contract is a UK-wide agreed package, which applies, to the UK as a whole. There are elements such as the allocation formula which have been adjusted to reflect particular needs in Scotland, however this does not detract from the point that this is essentially a UK contract.

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is acceptable for a paramedic or nurse to attend to cover an out-of-hours call in the absence of a GP.

Malcolm Chisholm: Under existing arrangements, general practitioners have responsibility for their patients 24 hours a day, seven days per week. During periods of out-of-hours, the GP will either attend the patient himself/herself or may be part of an out of hours co-operative in which case a GP colleague will attend. As part of the GP’s terms of service, it is also open to him/her to delegate treatment to any other health care professional, such as a paramedic or nurse, who is competent to carry out such treatment.

  Under the terms of the new general medical services contract, which is subject to Parliament approving the Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill, GPs will be able to transfer responsibility for providing out-of-hours care to the NHS board, who in turn will have to ensure that alternative providers are available and that they meet mandatory accredited standards. The exact nature of these new arrangements are currently being developed by a national working group on out-of-hours as part of the implementation process for the new contract.

Hospitals

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of operational capacity the cardiac unit of the Golden Jubilee Hospital has been running at in each month from May to October 2003.

Malcolm Chisholm: The cardiac unit at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital provides diagnostic services (angiography) and treatments (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft/Heart Valve Replacements and Angioplasty) for heart disease. Information provided by the hospital on the percentage utilisation of capacity at its cardiac unit in each of the six months from May 2003 to October 2003 is given in the following table.

  Golden Jubilee National Hospital: Percentage Of Cardiac Capacity Utilised In Period May–October 2003.

  

 Month 
 Percentage Utilised


 May 2003
 85%


 June 2003
 89%


 July 2003 
 78%


 August 2003
 54%


 September 2003
 65%


 October 2003
 60%

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how registered social landlords can be made aware of a prospective tenant’s record of anti-social behaviour prior to entering into a tenancy agreement.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Ms Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  A Registered Social Landlord (RSL) may ask for a reference from a prospective tenant’s landlord before housing them, but this requires the permission of the prospective tenant. It may also ask a local authority whether an Anti-Social Behaviour Order exists against that person, without obtaining consent. There are currently proposals in the Antisocial Behaviour Bill that would impose duties on RSLs and local authorities to disclose information on these records to RSLs, Scottish ministers, the police and other local authorities.

Justice

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33702 by Colin Boyd QC on 17 February 2003, what the (a) costs, (b) benefits and (c) implications of changing practices were found to be for staff, criminal justice partners and individuals affected.

Colin Boyd QC: An examination of the costs, benefits and implications of changing working practices is still on-going and no final decisions have been taken. This is part of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s commitment to review what it does, search for better ways of doing it, challenge assumptions and compare itself with others.

Licensing of Taxis

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to license the operational bases of taxi companies.

Tavish Scott: Executive Officials have had a number of informal discussions with local government officials, the trade and the police to assist consideration of the best way to tackle problems associated with taxi and private hire car booking offices. It is anticipated that we will be in a position to consult on the merits and detail of any licensing scheme over the next few months.

Maternity Services

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the recommendations of the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland’s report into ultrasound scanning in pregnancy will be implemented across all NHS boards and trusts and, if so, how long it expects full implementation of the recommendations to take.

Malcolm Chisholm: The NHS Quality Improvement Scotland report on routine ultrasound scanning before 24 weeks of pregnancy is currently a consultation document. The Executive will consider the guidance in the report when it is finalised together with any advice from the UK National Screening Committee on pregnancy screening.

  The Executive cannot comment on implementation timescales until the report is finalised.

Maternity Services

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have implemented the recommendations of the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services Reference report in relation to regional and national planning in maternity services.

Malcolm Chisholm: The planning and provision of maternity services is in the first place a matter for NHS boards.

  The report of the expert group on acute maternity services (2002) makes it clear that acute maternity services should be planned and commissioned in a regional context whilst taking account of local needs, priorities and facilities. I emphasised the importance of this approach when I responded to the proposals made by NHS Argyll and Clyde.

  To facilitate this, we have provided funding for a regional maternity services co-ordinator in each of the three regional planning groups which should ensure that all NHS boards are adopting a pan-regional approach to planning maternity services. Each region is about to or is currently scoping existing maternity services, taking account existing infrastructures and current and recent NHS board maternity service reviews. Boards which have recently reviewed or are reviewing their maternity services include Highland, Orkney, Shetland, Tayside, Forth Valley, Glasgow and Argyll and Clyde.

  A Framework for Maternity Services (2001) also notes the importance of cross-boundary planning and states that NHS boards should make sure that local consultation and public involvement takes place when planning maternity services.

  I have made it clear to NHS boards that when considering proposals for reconfiguration I will have to be satisfied that they are consistent with these national policy documents.

Maternity Services

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards are meeting the standard set by the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services Reference Report on one-to-one midwifery intrapartum care.

Malcolm Chisholm: The report of the expert group on acute maternity services (EGAMS) stated that one-to-one midwifery care should be the norm for all women during labour and childbirth. It also stated that professionals at all levels of maternity care must have appropriate training.

  As such all NHS boards are working towards achieving this standard to ensure that all women receive one-to-one skilled, evidence-based midwifery care whilst in labour. However, at present the information regarding which boards have achieved this is not centrally held.

  EGAMS stressed that all midwives caring for women in labour should have identified core competencies and skills. The Scottish maternity development programme provides local maternity courses which will help to achieve this.

  The Executive is developing a maternity services performance assessment framework for NHS boards that will take into account the standards set out in the EGAMS report.

Maternity Services

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) hospital-based and (b) community-based midwives there have been in each NHS board area in each of the last three years, expressed also on a per capita basis and as a ratio to the number of babies born in each year.

Malcolm Chisholm: A copy of the requested information has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 29941).

  The tables show whole time equivalent (WTE) and headcount information relating to hospital and community midwives and the population by NHS board area. Rates of hospital and community midwives per 100,000 population and rates per 1,000 babies born are also given.

  The rates should be treated with caution. The variability in rates between health boards can be partly explained by the small number of midwives each rate is based on. Moreover, these rates do not take account of cross-border flows between health boards e.g. patients resident in one health board area may receive their midwifery services in another health board.

Maternity Services

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS boards about planning maternity services.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive Health Department published A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland in February 2001. The document sets out a vision for maternity services in Scotland, and provides a "template" for best practice in maternity care for use by NHS service planners and the clinical professionals who are responsible for delivering these services.

  The report of the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services published in December 2002 specified the range of services for women and neonates required in midwife-led community maternity units dealing with low risk pregnancies and labour and consultant-led units caring for women with low, medium or high risk or complex pregnancies and labour. It highlighted the fact that acute maternity services should be planned and commissioned in a regional context taking into account local needs.

  The Health Department also issued a Health Department Letter (HDL (2002) 10) in March 2002 giving guidance to NHS boards on regional planning for health care services.

National Health Service

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time equivalent radiotherapists there are in each NHS board.

Malcolm Chisholm: Radiotherapists are also known as Clinical Oncologists, which is the term used by ISD when collecting data centrally.

  The following table provides the number of radiotherapists by NHS board, at 30 September 2002.

  Clinical Oncologists by NHS Board

  

 Clinical Oncology
 Whole 
  Time Equivalent


 Scotland 
  
  36.3


 Argyll and Clyde
  
  1.1


 Ayrshire and Arran
 -


 Borders
  
  0.2


 Dumfries and Galloway
  
  0.2


 Fife
  
  0.7


 Forth Valley
 -


 Grampian
  
  2.0


 Greater Glasgow
  
  15.9


 Highland
  
  2.0


 Lanarkshire
 -


 Lothian
  
  8.5


 Orkney
 -


 Shetland
 -


 Tayside
  
  5.6


 Western Isles
 -


 Common Services 
  Agency
 -


 Golden Jubilee 
  National Hospital
 -


 State Hospital
 -


 Special Health 
  Boards
 -

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to set boundaries for managed clinical networks and, if so, what criteria it will use.

Malcolm Chisholm: The scope of each Managed Clinical Network (MCN) is determined by how best to integrate the service concerned in the interests of patients. In geographical terms, MCNs can operate at local (NHS board), regional or national level.

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to conduct a review of NHS patient complaint procedures.

Malcolm Chisholm: The review of the NHS complaints procedure has been completed. We are putting in place the systems required for the new procedure. The results of the consultation exercise on the new NHS complaints procedure can be seen at www.show.scot.nhs.uk/complaints .

  An independent analysis of the consultation responses has been carried out by Scottish Health Feedback. This will be made available shortly along with the Scottish Executive response to it.

Non-Domestic Rates

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanism is used for levying rates on telecommunications infrastructure.

Mr Andy Kerr: The rateable value is determined by the local assessor who estimates, using available evidence, the hypothetical rent which would be paid by a tenant for the rateable subjects. The poundage rate, which is set annually by Scottish ministers, is then multiplied by the rateable value to produce the rates liability. The relevant local authority will then send the bill to the occupier, deducting any appropriate rates relief. This is true for telecommunications subjects just as it is for all other types of property.

Non-Domestic Rates

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what rates have been levied on telecommunications infrastructure in each of the last six years, broken down by local authority area.

Mr Andy Kerr: This is a matter for local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.

Non-Domestic Rates

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what rates will be levied on satellite and wireless telecommunications infrastructure in each of the next three years.

Mr Andy Kerr: Satellite and wireless telecommunications infrastructure is valued on the basis of the rateable assets in occupation as with any other property. In this case the assets are normally base stations and associated plant and machinery. Each subject will be valued locally and entered in the local valuation roll. The information requested lies with each local authority and is not held centrally.

Non-Domestic Rates

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on rates on telecommunications infrastructure in the rest of the UK and how such rates compare with those levied in Scotland.

Mr Andy Kerr: This is a matter for the Valuation Office Agency for England and Wales. The information requested is not held by the Scottish Executive.

Non-Domestic Rates

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to use any surplus income from non-domestic rates to grant financial relief to the broadband sector.

Mr Andy Kerr: We do not have any plans to use any surplus income to grant financial relief to the broadband sector. Direct subsidy to the telecommunications industry is very much restricted by EC state aids regulations to ensure that no individual operator is awarded competitive advantage. We are already taking forward a number of initiatives to promote broadband. Our most recent is worth up to £24 million and has demand stimulation measures for the broadband sector. These include the broadband business incentive which provides grants to Scottish businesses who wish to take up a broadband connection.

Racial Equality

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support local racial equality councils.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive values the work and commitment of race equality councils in Scotland. As voluntary bodies, it is open to them to apply to the Executive for funding under relevant Executive grant programmes, such as the ethnic minorities grants scheme.

Residential Care

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what particular areas of need it has identified regarding residential accommodation for young people and what action it is taking to address these.

Euan Robson: There are a number of issues that are being addressed for residential accommodation for looked after young people. These include the qualifications of staff in residential child care. All staff will have to acquire the necessary qualifications by 2008. Children in residential accommodation can have particularly poor educational outcomes, which was recognised by the allocation of £10 million last year to improving the educational environment for children in care, particularly those in residential accommodation. We are now considering other policy initiatives to encourage the educational attainment of these young people, including the training and support offered to the staff in residential accommodation.

Roads

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission a thorough safety review of the junctions on the A90 between Aberdeen and the Angus border.

Nicol Stephen: A comprehensive review of the junction signing strategy and accident histories on the A90 between Aberdeen and Perth was undertaken in 1999. A number of junctions along the route have been improved following this review and further improvement works have been approved for 2003-04 between Aberdeen and Stonehaven.

  In addition, the Scottish Executive carries out an annual review of the trunk road network to identify accident cluster sites or areas with high accident rates. The junctions on the A90 between Aberdeen and the Angus border will be included in this review which is currently under way. Any relevant sites that can be treated by low cost engineering methods will be prioritised and added to the 2004-05 remedial programme.

Social Inclusion

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how (a) social inclusion, (b) closing the opportunity gap, (c) poverty, and (d) the eradication of poverty is measured.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Social Justice Annual Report 2002 reported on the 29 Social Justice Milestones, which measure progress towards tackling social exclusion and poverty. The milestones cover a range of measures including low income, education and health.

  The technical notes that accompany each target set out in Building a Better Scotland (including closing the opportunity gap targets) are available on the Executive’s website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/finance/technotes2.pdf.

  Each note sets out how the individual target will be measured.

Water Environment and Water Services Act (Scotland) Act 2003

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the designation of river basin districts required by the Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003.

Allan Wilson: I have today approved the draft designation order for a single river basin district for Scotland. This is the sole issue remaining for transposition of the water framework directive.

  The designation has been supported by key stakeholders, who believe that a single river basin district to cover all Scottish waters, except those in the cross-border catchment, will allow for a cohesive approach to river basin management planning in Scotland. The consultation process brought out some concerns from stakeholders situated in Dumfries and Galloway that the area had been split between the Scotland River Basin District and the cross-border river basin district with England. These concerns have been addressed by including all Dumfries and Galloway catchments in the cross-border district. This will enable more effective management of that area.

  This designation sets the administrative boundaries for introducing a modernised approach to protecting and enhancing the water environment. The balance of all interests will be the cornerstone of this new approach.

Wildlife

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will declare more capercaillie habitats as special protection areas and what further action it will take to protect the species.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has classified eight sites in Scotland as special protection areas for Capercaillie and these contain approximately 36% of the British breeding population. Scottish Natural Heritage recently provided new data to the Scottish Executive on the case for additional special protection areas for this bird species and these are currently being assessed by my officials in order that I can consider the case for classifying new sites for Capercaillie.

Wildlife

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has identified any marine and coastal areas that are of international importance for seabirds and, if so, what measures it is taking to protect such areas from inappropriate development and commercial exploitation.

Allan Wilson: Forty-eight sites have been classified by the Scottish Executive as special protection areas (SPA) under the EC Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) which have one or more species of seabird as a qualifying interest. Eight of these are also designated as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. These sites are listed in the following table.

  All SPAs for seabirds are "European sites" and are protected by the duties placed on competent authorities (through the 1994 habitats regulations) not to consent to plans or projects that would damage the conservation interest of the site. They may be protected by contractual measures (including management agreements with the proprietors or tenants). Where necessary ministers may introduce a special nature conservation order for a European site, prohibiting any operation which would be likely to damage the conservation interest of the site. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) may make byelaws to protect European sites from damage by parties other than the owner/occupier. In European sites underpinned by Special Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI) notifications, SNH is given the power to amend the lists of potential damaging operations (PDOs) which form part of an SSSI notification when this is necessary to bring them into line with the ecological objectives of a European site. It is Government policy that SPA and Ramsar sites be afforded similar protection.

  In the marine environment, all relevant authorities (such as harbour authorities, local authorities, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) having functions relevant to marine conservation, are obliged to exercise those functions to protect the integrity of European marine sites.

  National Planning Policy Guideline 14 sets out for planning authorities the overall national planning policy for the protection of the natural heritage in designated areas and the wider countryside including coastal areas. In terms of development planning, structure plans include policies for the protection and, where appropriate, enhancement of European sites and indicate their broad locations while local plans provide more detailed provision and identify the sites. The accompanying texts should emphasise the very strict protection that must be afforded to the interests for which European sites are designated and the implications this has for development proposals which would adversely affect those interests.

  SPA Sites in Scotland with One or More Species of Seabird as a Qualifying Interest

  

 Site Name
 Local 
  Authority Area


 Ailsa Craig
 South Ayrshire


 Auskerry
 Orkney


 Buchan Ness to Collieston 
  Coast
 Aberdeenshire


 Calf of Eday
 Orkney


 Canna and Sanday
 Highland


 Cape Wrath
 Highland


 Copinsay
 Orkney


 Cromarty Firth
 Highland


 East Caithness Cliffs
 Highland


 Fair Isle
 Shetland


 Fetlar
 Shetland


 Firth of Forth
 Lothians and Fife


 Firth of Tay and 
  Eden Estuary
 Angus, Dundee, Perth 
  and Kinross


 Flannan Isles
 Eilean Siar


 Foula
 Shetland


 Fowlsheugh
 Aberdeenshire


 Glas Eileanan
 Argyll and Bute


 Handa
 Highland


 Hermaness, Saxa Vord 
  and Valla Field
 Shetland


 Hoy
 Orkney


 Inner Moray Firth
 Highland


 Loch of Strathbeg
 Aberdeenshire


 Marwick Head
 Orkney


 Mingulay and Berneray
 Eilean Siar


 Monach Isles
 Eilean Siar


 Mousa
 Shetland


 North Caithness Cliffs
 Highland


 North Colonsay and 
  Western Cliffs
 Argyll and Bute


 North Rona and Sula 
  Sgeir
 Eilean Siar


 Noss
 Shetland


 Papa Stour
 Shetland


 Papa Westray (North 
  Hill and Holm)
 Orkney


 Pentland Firth Islands
 Orkney


 Priest Island (Summer 
  Isles)
 Highland


 Ramna Stacks and 
  Gruney
 Shetland


 Ronas Hill - North 
  Roe and Tingon
 Shetland


 Rousay
 Orkney


 Rum
 Highland


 Shiant Isles
 Eilean Siar


 South Uist Machair 
  and Lochs
 Eilean Siar


 St Abb`s Head to 
  Fast Castle
 Scottish Borders 
  and Berwickshire


 St Kilda
 Eilean Siar


 Sule Skerry and Sule 
  Stack
 Orkney


 Sumburgh Head
 Shetland


 Treshnish Isles
 Argyll and Bute


 Troup, Pennan and 
  Lion`s Heads
 Aberdeenshire


 West Westray
 Orkney


 Ythan Estuary, Sands 
  of Forvie and Meikle Loch
 Aberdeenshire

Wildlife

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to prevent the illegal persecution of protected species on grouse moors, in particular the golden eagle, in light of the findings of research by Scottish Natural Heritage published in Biological Conservation.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has already taken tough action to clamp down on wildlife crime wherever it occurs. The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 came into force on 26 March and introduced custodial sentences and new police powers to tackle wildlife crime.

  The Nature Conservation (Scotland) Bill, currently being considered by Parliament contains further significant measures to improve protection for Scotland’s wildlife.